


Since Forever

by dreammish



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Canon Compliant, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Grinding, Gummiphone Selfies, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, POV Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-02 06:46:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20271664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreammish/pseuds/dreammish
Summary: Riku tells himself it is enough to be by Sora's side.In which some silly selfies lead to a realization that brings what was hidden to light.





	1. Chapter 1

“And that’s the summary of my mission across worlds you asked for.”

"Thank you, Master Riku. You may go now.”

With a nod, Riku leaves Master Yen Sid’s office. Once he closes the door softly, he exhales. He’s not sure if he will ever get used to that title. Brushing a hand through his hair, he begins the journey to Sora’s room. Training should be over by now, which means reading time. Riku smirks knowingly.

Finding himself in front of Sora’s door, he gives a knock before entering. 

Sora is leaning back in his desk chair with the thick tome cracked to the first couple of pages. Head turning towards the door, his cerulean eyes light up as he rights himself in the chair. “Riku, you’re finally back!”

Riku takes off his boots before leaning against the door with his arms crossed. “It was only a couple of weeks.” He quirks an eyebrow as he tilts his chin first towards the phone and then the book. “I didn’t realize you could read the materials on your Gummiphone.”

Sora looks down at the phone in his hands, then at the neglected tome, and back at Riku with a sheepish grin. He throws his hands in the air as he whines. “But Riku - it’s not my fault! A book about the history of the worlds? That’s so – we’ve visited enough worlds between the two of us to write like 10 books!”

His façade quickly dissipating with a smile, Riku uncrosses his arms as he approaches Sora. He hesitates for a moment before resting a hand on Sora’s shoulder. Sora beams at him in response. “Can’t argue with that. What were you doing anyways?”

Sora holds his phone up to Riku. “Kingstagram.”

Riku rolls his eyes. “Again?”

“Y’know, maybe if you were better at it, you’d get it.” His smile morphs into a smirk as he shrugs. “But you’re kinda old so… who can blame you?”

Riku scoffs. Sora has clearly been hanging around Roxas too much. He snatches the phone out of Sora’s hand and, ignoring Sora’s indignant “Hey!”, scrolls through his feed. “I know and can use Kingstagram. Not all of us like to random post.” He taps on a blurry selfie of Sora with an irate Donald chasing after him in San Fransokyo and shows it to Sora.

“Those are the best though! They capture the memories so we can look back on them and laugh.”

The corners of Riku’s mouth quirk upwards. How Sora of him. “You’re such a sap.” He means for it to be a jab, but it comes out with too much warmth. 

Sora tucks a thumb under his chin as he ponders for a moment before smiling at Riku. Ignoring the older boy’s last comment, Sora pushes on his knees to stand and grabs the phone from Riku. He wiggles the phone at his friend. “Let’s take a photo – you and me! I’ll even let you post it on your account instead of mine.”

Riku balks at the idea. He already disliked photos in general; they felt so awkward and forced and he never knew where to put his hands so they either got crossed or shoved into his pockets. He attempts to evade, joking with a hand to his chest. “As much as I appreciate the concern for my social media, I think I’ll pass.”

Sora grabs the older boy’s arm with both hands. “Aw, c’mon Riku! It’ll be fun, and, I know you don’t like photos and all, but it’d mean a lot to me.”

Sora was always so earnest. Any hints of resolve crumbling, Riku acquiesces. 

Turns out _a_ photo was more a figure of speech. 

Now situated on the bed with his back against the wall, Sora, with phone in hand on the self-portrait setting, grins and Riku settles on his usual smirk next to him. At the last moment, he does a goofy face and Riku, eyes naturally drawn towards Sora and the movement, bursts into surprised laughter. Sora looks at the photo, pride and satisfaction fringing his expression. “All right, another!”

Not even surprised, Riku sighs, a smile coloring the exhale. 

After a couple more photos, Sora declares. “Okay, this’ll be the last one.” A beat. “Promise.” 

Riku rolls his eyes. Honestly, he hasn’t really minded the photos. When it’s just him and Sora… everything feels easy. Ignoring that thought, he says faintly. “Whatever you want.” 

Sora flashes a smile at him. Over the course of the photos, he had shifted closer to Riku on his right until they were flush side to side, shoulders knocking. “Riku?”

He seems a little distracted. “Mm?”

Sora holds the phone in front of Riku with his left hand. “Can you take the picture?”

He seems to snap out of it. “Yeah. Sorry.” Riku takes the phone in his right hand and as he is adjusting the phone for the right angle, a surprised sound escapes him. On the phone screen, he sees Sora sneak both of his arms around Riku’s midriff as the younger boy rests his head against his shoulder. Eyes slightly widened, Riku looks down at the arms and then at the top of Sora’s head.

Tilting his head up, Sora smiles but does not make direct eye contact as he rambles, his cheeks a little pink. “Don’t worry this isn’t going on Kingstagram – I mean, unless you want to – I don’t mind, up to you.” He looks down at the forgotten phone, now on the bed in Riku’s faint grasp. “Anyways, last photo! Let’s do it.”

Riku swallows and nods as he carefully raises his arm, breathing deeply. Feeling the heat emanating from Sora’s body, Riku’s skin warms. 

He takes the photo and without looking at it, he moves to hand the phone back. Sora takes the phone back and reluctantly removes his arms as he pushes himself back into an upright position next to Riku. 

Sora busies himself with looking through the photos on his phone. Brushing a hand through his hair, Riku looks out the window at the twinkling stars as he attempts to control his elevated heartrate. Sora was always slinging an arm around his shoulders or pinching his cheeks – the latter much to his chagrin. It was just part of what made him so endearing. But Riku knows these things do not mean the same thing to Sora as it does to him. And he has accepted that.

Sora glances at Riku and tilts his head. “Too warm again? I can cast a Blizzard in here.”

Riku once told Sora that his flushes were due to his newly acquired sensitivity to heat. Sora had squinted at him, rightfully so given they all lived on a tropical island together for years. He admits it wasn’t his brightest idea, but he had held Sora’s questioning gaze, and a moment later, Sora had nodded and joked about how he was getting old. 

“Something tells me Master Yen Sid would really like that.” 

Sora rolls his eyes. “I mean a small one.”

With an upward quirk of his lips, Riku rubs the top of Sora’s head affectionately. “It’ll go away soon enough.”

Sora bats his friend’s arm away with a mock glare and casually suggests. “Why don’t you just take off your jacket?”

He doesn’t really think it is necessary, but he starts shrugging off his jacket anyways. He folds it neatly and places it next to him. He silently admits that it was pretty helpful. Seeing Sora’s expectant look, he verbally admits. “Better.”

Sora gives a smug smirk. He has definitely been hanging out with Roxas too much. 

Riku observes as the smirk slowly disappears and Sora’s eyes slowly flicker across his chest. He tries not to freeze but to no avail. Where they trace, Riku feels warmth trailing, spreading upwards to his face once again, darkening it. 

Sora glances up and his eyes widen. Understanding blooms on his expression. Shifting his body to face Riku, he slowly reaches his left hand out. 

Riku catches his wrist. Voice sharp, he warns. “Don’t.”

Solemn blue gazes into tempestuous green. With his other hand, Sora gently but determinedly removes Riku’s grasp. As he continues to reach out, the older boy’s eyes warily following the movement, Sora places a gentle hand on his chest, above his heart. 

He feels the rapid pulsing beneath his palm as it reverberates through him. 

Sora looks from his hand to Riku who determinedly looks away, jaw tense. He lifts his hand to rest it against Riku’s cheek, watching in awe as his flush deepens further. Sora gently turns Riku’s face towards him even as Riku continues to glance to the side. 

Having felt the heat from Sora’s body seep through his clothes, spread across his own body, and creep upwards into his face, he knows – the bright coloring a physical marker, a manifestation of his deepest desires. He had always been able to play it off. But now, it seems like Sora has finally started to piece things together.

Tension coils in his stomach. He wants to protect Sora – and if he must harbor these feelings in obscurity to eternity so that he can stay by his side, so be it. If he has to stamp them down so they never chance to light, he will do so gladly, time and time again. 

Riku opens his mouth. He will protect Sora. 

“May I?”

Riku blinks as he finally looks at Sora. He sees a timidity in his expression, a rarity. Apprehensive, he nods. 

Hand still on Riku’s cheek, Sora leans forward. Hesitating for a moment, he presses his lips gently to skin. He pulls back to study Riku’s reaction.

A long moment passes.

Riku brings a shaking hand up to his cheek, his other hand gripping the bedsheets tightly, knuckles bone white. He feels like his head is going to erupt.

This must be just another form of physical affection from Sora. He weakly says. “Sora… we’ll always be friends.”

Sora gives him a weird look. “Well, yeah, always. But…” He glances to the side before making eye contact again. “Did you not like… that?”

Riku flounders. “I…” What can he say?

Yes, and he will enable Sora to do it again in the future, sentencing himself to deeper suffering. To feel those lips burning into him deep in the night. To imagine where else they could press. To be in bliss and torture knowing and yet wishing still. No, and he will risk hurting Sora again. No, and he will never again feel those lips pressed to him. He tries to ignore the disappointment that washes over him at the thought.

He closes his eyes briefly and resigns himself to his fate. “… didn’t mind it.”

Furrowing his eyebrows briefly, Sora gives an uncertain smile as he exhales. “May I…” He falters for a moment. “May I kiss you?” 

Riku swallows, skin scorching. 

He was simply, totally, and irrevocably fucked. 

Recklessness pulses in his head. He will deal with the aftermath later. Instead of answering, he reaches both hands out, cups Sora’s face, and slowly closes the distance.

The kiss is chaste. He feels Sora’s chapped lips and absentmindedly notes to get him some lip balm. Even with a simple press of lips, his skin sears as his body churns, deep-seated desires shifting within, awakened, a maelstrom of emotions and thoughts tearing through.

_I’ve hurt him enough_

_Don’t be selfish_

_I’m his best friend_

_Stay by my side_

_I will be yours forever, forever, forever_

_So be mine, mine, **mine**_

Eyes shooting open, he pulls back abruptly, missing Sora’s dazed expression. He hastily pushes himself from the bed, taking a couple of steps forward. Standing, he only slightly turns his head. 

“Riku, wha-“

He cuts Sora off. “I’m sorry, Sora. I need some time to myself.”

He continues walking forward and slips out, the door closing behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I listened to “Vector to the Heavens” (Xion's final boss theme) on repeat while drafting Part 2 – would **highly** recommend listening to it while reading this for added emotional weight! (It’s really such a beautiful piece.)

Heaving, he dematerializes Braveheart. His opponent dematerializes his own and walks over, footsteps padding on the grass. 

“Not bad. Maybe one of these days you might actually beat me.”

Riku rolls his eyes. “We’re on the same side now.”

Roxas smirks, hand on hip. “Guess we’ll never know.” He tilts his head slightly. “So, you gonna tell me what happened with Sora or what?”

Riku starts. He pauses. “What are you talking about?”

Roxas scoffs. “Are you kidding me.”

“I just wanted a spar.”

Roxas fixes him with a flat stare. “Look, I’m one of two people who know, right? What’s the point if you’re just gonna lock everything away.”

Riku tenses, ready to deflect again, before deflating. He glances around and sees the fields are empty. “He wanted to – we were taking some pictures. And then Sora, he…” He glances at Roxas’s focused expression before focusing on a patch of grass in the distance. He swallows. “He kissed my cheek. And then we kissed. Briefly. Then I left.”

A pause. Riku glances at Roxas and sees eyebrows raised in the most surprised expression he's seen on him. In another circumstance, he would have laughed. 

Roxas speaks slowly. “But you sure don’t seem that happy about it.” 

Riku looks off to the side. “I can’t – Sora doesn’t mean it. Not in the same way.”

Roxas furrows his eyebrows. “Did he say that?”

“No, but –”

An expression of understanding crosses Roxas’s face. “But nothing. C’mon, even Sora isn’t gonna just dole out lip service like that.”

“I know that! It’s just –” He takes a breath. “I’m his best friend, right? And Sora’s always been very… affectionate. It just wouldn’t surprise me if this were a part of that, you know?”

“Hey, I get it. Just try talking to Sora about it though. You don’t even have to bring up your own stuff. But you’ll feel a lot better if you know what those things mean to him.”

He puts a hand on Riku’s shoulder. “And I know he can be a little dense, but chances are, if he started it and you ended it, he might be feeling some type of way.”

Eyes widening before lowering to the ground, Riku clenches his hand before loosening it willfully. “You’re right.”

Roxas gives a small smile before he removes his hand. Smile morphing into a smirk, Roxas opens a palm towards him, other hand on his hip. “That’ll be a hundred munny.”

Riku bats his arm away. “You mean all those meals I make for you don’t count?”

“Nu-uh. Can’t buy potions with food.”

“You’re the worst.” Riku says with a shake of his head yet smiling. “Let’s head back.”

—

Standing in front of Sora’s door, Riku raises a fist. He was going to go back and shower first, but Roxas accused him of stalling. 

He takes a breath, knocks, and walks in. 

He sees Sora on the bed, Gummiphone in hand. Riku hears him quickly say. “Hey, sorry, Riku’s here. I’ll talk to you later, okay?” He can’t make out the response.

“Sorry, I can come back later.” Riku turns for the door.

Sora gives a faint smile. “No, it’s okay. Kairi and I’ve talked for a while anyways.”

A sinking sensation settles. Riku clenches his fist as shame quickly accompanies it, mixing unpleasantly in his stomach. “She’s still out on her mission?”

“Yeah – should be coming home in a couple of days. She said she misses us.”

_No, she misses you._ He stamps that thought down immediately as the feelings wind tighter. He takes off his boots. “I hope she’s doing okay.” He adds. “She’s gotten a lot better at fighting.”

Sora nods enthusiastically. “Seriously – she’ll probably beat both of us someday!”

Riku looks at Sora. “I wanted to say sorry for earlier.” He resists the urge to cross his arms.

Sora slowly shifts himself off the bed until he’s standing. He walks halfway to Riku, hand resting against the back of his chair. “I didn’t mean to push you.” 

Riku furrows his eyebrows in response as he looks down. “Sora…” He looks up, emerald eyes piercing. “Why?”

Sora jumps a little and brings a hand to the back of his neck. “You’re important to me, and so I wanted to show you… how I feel.” He winces a little. 

Riku murmurs. “You’re important to me too, Sora.”

Sora nods. “I know.” He drums his fingers against the back of the wooden chair. A silence stifles.

Sora seems to wait, eyes searching the older boy’s face. He tries again. “What I’m trying to say is…” Sora lets out a frustrated sound. “Why is this so hard?” Riku stares, silent, barely breathing.

Sora takes a different approach. “I know you care about me. And I care about you too. So that’s why I wanted to… kiss you…” He trails off.

As the silence continues, the hand on the back of his neck clutches at his hair. “C’mon, Riku. Say something. Please.”

He finally speaks. “Are you being serious?”

Sora takes a step back, hurt. “Wha– yes, I’m serious. You know I wouldn’t joke about this.”

Riku shakes his head. “But what about Kairi?”

Eyebrows furrow. “What about Kairi?”

Riku gestures at Sora almost helplessly, throat restricting. “The paopu fruit. I know you guys shared it.”

“That was so we’d remain in each other’s lives. And it didn’t even work since I –” He cuts himself off.

Riku’s fist tightens. That’s right – Sora almost died bringing Kairi back. He almost couldn’t reach Sora in time. He had felt himself crack, splintering, almost shattering into oblivion. He thought he wouldn’t be enough, wasn’t enough to save him. 

He couldn’t lose Sora. He refused to ever lose him. He would stay by his side and protect him for eternity. Even if it meant as a friend. It would be enough.

“Sora, I know you love Kairi. What you feel for me… ” Knuckles shift, bone-white. “You’re confusing it.” He inhales. “The same thing is happening to me too. I get it.”

Sora takes another step back. He brings a slow hand to his chest, the area above his heart, expression distraught. Riku’s hand twitches, and he has to fight back the urge to reach out to him. “You’re not saying…”

Riku hesitates before nodding, voice resolute. “I am.” _I’m sorry._

Crestfallen, Sora lowers his head to his chest, expression shielded by his bangs. He grips his jacket above his heart.

A silence stretches. 

Sora eventually looks back up, expression fierce. “I don’t believe that for one second.”

“How can you say that?”

“Because I know in my heart you’re lying. You care about me, and you’re scared –”

Riku bites back. “I’m not scared!”

Sora matches him. “Yes, you are! Why can’t you just let yourself be happy?”

Riku finally snaps. “You want to know why? You’re supposed to be with Kairi, and I’m supposed to be by your side as your friend! I’ve accepted that a long time ago. That this is how I can protect you. So don’t –”

Sora throws his hand expressively. “I’m trying to tell you that I love you! And not in a best friend type of way!”

Riku stumbles backwards, leaning on the door, limbs weak. “… What did you say?”

Pink tinging his cheeks, Sora huffs but repeats himself. “I love you. Like how Will loves Elizabeth. Well, without the whole being separated for ten years and having to guide souls thing. Maybe more like Herc and Meg? You did dive into my heart like how he dove in to save her so –” He cuts off with a yelp.

As Sora was rambling, thumb tucked under his chin, Riku had taken measured steps until he was in front of Sora and slowly wrapped his arms around the younger boy. 

His head next to Sora’s ear, Riku states quietly, shaking. “I’ve loved you.” His arms tighten. “I’ve loved you since forever.”

Cerulean eyes widen, as memories flash through his mind, before softening. He angles his head and murmurs against Riku’s neck, just as softly. “I’m sorry. I should’ve realized sooner.”

Riku shakes his head twice. “I never expected anything. It was enough.”

Feeling dampness on his skin, Riku looks down in alarm at the top of Sora’s head before pulling away. As he holds him by both shoulders, Riku inspects him and asks gently. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Sora embarrassingly swipes at the tears with the back of his hand. “If I’d realized sooner, you wouldn’t have had to suffer.”

Riku cups Sora’s cheek, softly brushing his tears away with his thumb. “No, Sora. I made the decision to never tell you.”

“You were always there. Protecting me. And I – I never knew, I didn’t even recognize you until Kairi told me and brought us together.”

Riku’s eyes widen. The World That Never Was – that time feels like a distant memory. He's surprised Sora still dwells on it. “I was ready to stay in the darkness forever. I thought you wouldn’t be able to accept me. But you did, and that’s why I’m able to be here now. You gave me the strength to come back.”

Sora sniffles before shaking his head vigorously, dispelling Riku’s hand. “Sorry. This isn’t about me at all.”

Riku smiles gently. _It will always be about you._ “I don’t mind.”

Sora gives him an incredulous look. “Y’know, for someone who always accuses me of being the sap…”

The older boy laughs. “I wonder who I got it from?”

Sora watches him. “Hey Riku?” 

Laughter trailing to chuckles, Riku answers. “Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you?”

Riku blinks, eyebrows raised, before a smile forms. And again, instead of responding, he steps forward, places his hands on either side of Sora’s face, and closes the distance between them.

The kiss starts out sweet, and Riku feels like his heart is about to burst at the seams, skin already warming. Content, he is about to pull away until he feels a dampness ghost the center of his lips. He stiffens in surprise before relaxing and parting his lips. 

Riku feels the slick muscle gently enter and graze his own in question. He angles his head to deepen the kiss, and Sora makes an appreciative noise. Something stirs within him at the sound, and Riku guides the younger boy backwards to the bed.

Riku pushes him gently onto the bed. Seeing the dazed expression on Sora’s face and the slight flush to his face, Riku bites back a groan as his own face heats. Snapping out of it, Sora slowly adjusts himself against the pillows and beckons with a single finger.

Riku normally would’ve laughed at something like that. But with Sora, he bites his tongue harder and heeds his call, slowly sinking onto the bed until he is above Sora. A solemn moment passes as they stare at each other before Sora smiles. He places his hands in Riku’s hair and guides him to him.

The kiss quickly deepens with one of Sora’s hand clutching Riku’s hair, the other running over and under Riku’s thin shirt, tracing the grooves and ridges of taut muscle. With one forearm supporting him, Riku runs the other hand down Sora’s hair, face, arms, chest, stomach, and up his back again in a never-ending motion, burning the contours of his body, his being into his memory.

Sora brings both hands to his back where they travel lower. Riku bites back a groan as he breaks away slightly to mutter against Sora’s mouth, voice darker than usual. “Easy there.”

Sora smirks and as Riku blinks in surprise, his orientation suddenly changes. Eyes processing the new view, he sees Sora sitting above him, expression smug and challenging. Seems there were still sides of Sora he has yet to see. Sides he would unravel, bit by bit. Riku slowly smirks in response. He reaches out to places his hands on Sora’s hips, but Sora bats them away. “No hands.”

Riku bites his lip to suppress another groan, heat pooling within him. He lays his arms on the bed, fingers tense. Sora’s eyes automatically flutter down to his lips to observe the movement, transfixed, his tongue darting out to lick his own unconsciously, before he dives in.

As their tongues slide against each other, Riku feels a subtle rocking of hips against his. Unable to suppress it, Riku groans into Sora’s mouth. He feels like he has been set ablaze, skin feverish.

“Sora,” Riku bites out through clenched teeth. “are you sure?”

In response, Sora leans back and, locking eyes with Riku, intensifies the movement.

Hands digging into the sheets, the fabric twisting within his fingers, Riku matches his tempo, the delicious friction causing him to groan again. Sora begins to trail open-mouth kisses from the older boy’s cheek down to his neck, Riku tilting his head in response, where he bites the skin at the junction of his neck and collarbone, eliciting another groan. Sora licks the forming bruise as a salve. 

With shaking hands, Riku quickly undoes the buckle on his pants and zipper on his pants before doing the same with Sora’s. Unable to contain himself, Riku places both hands on Sora's backside and pulls him closer. Sora tilts his head back and releases a loud moan, and Riku almost comes undone at just the sound.

Riku forces his eyes to focus, and they fixate on Sora’s face. The parted lips, swollen red as he breathes heavily; the flushed skin, sweat misting the surface; and his glazed eyes, deepened to a sapphire as they determinedly focus on his own. Riku wants to unravel him. Bit by bit. To push him to the edge, to take him apart, and piece him back to together. He wants the same.

As pressure builds, Riku forces out, voice strained. “Sora, I can’t –”

Sora, breathless, responds. “Me too, I –”

Riku chokes out the younger boy's name, a cry of his own name answering him. They come together, backs arching. Riku sees white, feels like he is coming apart, like he is worlds away, floating, boundless, ecstasy flushing through his veins. 

_I’m yours, I’m yours, I’m yours, forever, forever, forever_

Finally, little by little, he returns to his body. Eyes cracking open with a view of the ceiling greeting him, Riku looks around and sees Sora curled against him, head on his shoulder. 

For a wild moment, Riku tenses, wondering if the whole thing had been another dream. Then he notices an uncomfortably slick feeling between his legs and sees his undone pants. He peers at Sora’s pants as well and notes they are undone as well. He exhales, body relaxing.

Sora turns his head to peer up at him. He has the most satiated expression on his face Riku has ever seen, his heart swelling a little at the thought. Sora smiles. “Hi.”

Riku smiles fondly, eyes soft. “Hey.”

Sora grabs Riku’s hand, folding his own into it. Riku tenses for a moment before adjusting to interlock their fingers. 

“So that was nice.” Sora coughs. “Really nice.”

“I’ll never forget it.” Riku unconsciously strokes Sora’s intertwined hand with his thumb, and he slips out before he could stop himself. “Who taught you that?” He internally facepalms.

“Taught me what?”

Embarrassed, Riku gestures to himself and then to Sora before making the same hand motion Sora had used earlier. Sora flushes as he glances to the side. “Oh, uh, Roxas sent me a couple of links once. Said it’d be helpful at some point.”

Riku widens his eyes, blinking, as he flushes before furrowing his eyebrows. He’s not sure why Roxas had links, and he definitely does not want to find out. What was even in those links? He’s not sure if he could bring himself to check. Forget it. “I… see…” There's no way, but... “Did you guys…?” 

Tearing his hand out of Riku’s, Sora throws it out in front of him as a shield. “What? No way! That’d be like…” He brings it to his chin. “Well, would it be like kissing myself? I guess technically that’d be more like Ven and Roxas…” Sora shudders. “Yeah, never mind.”

Interesting – so Sora was just a naturally good learner. Riku coughs at the thought as he shifts. _Easy there._

Feeling the stickiness, Riku grimaces and glances down. Despite how comfortable he is, he decides they should probably clean and change. With a sigh, he taps Sora who looks up again. “Let’s get changed.”

Not missing a beat, Sora’s expression turns sly. “Not satisfied enough?”

Riku starts. Embarrassed, he glances off to the side, scratching his cheek with a finger. “No, I mean –”

Sora cuts him off with a laugh. “Just messing with you. Let’s do it.” He starts sitting up. 

Not to be outdone, Riku fixes Sora with a smirk as he sits up as well. “Oh? And who’s the one not satisfied.”

Sora flushes, but his smile remains. He simply says. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Riku ruffles his hair before placing a hand on the side of his neck and pulling him in for a chaste kiss. He pulls away, noting Sora’s slightly put out expression with amusement. Riku gives him a quick peck. He grabs Sora’s hand and gently pulls him off the bed. “C’mon.”

Riku goes to the dresser next to Sora’s desk and pulls out one of his spare sets in the middle drawer. He never would have imagined needing them for this reason but was nevertheless grateful he would not have to go back to his room. He grabs the tissue box from the shelf above the desk and places it on top of the dresser.

He angles his body away from Sora who is pulling out clothes from another drawer. He pulls off his pants and boxers before wiping away any residue from his body with the tissues and pulling on his clean set. As he is fixing his belt into place, he turns back and sees Sora doing the same. Throwing the tissues in the nearby wastebasket, Riku does not miss the mischievous glint in his eyes.

“You snuck a look, didn’t you.”

Sora folds his hands behind his head. He drawls. “Maybe.”

Riku rolls his eyes as he goes to the bed to put on his forgotten jacket, Sora following him. “No privacy around here.”

Sora rolls his eyes back. “We’ve seen each other like that a billion times.” 

As they settle on the bed, Sora splayed on top of the older boy with an arm and leg thrown across his body, a thought passes through Riku’s mind. “You know, I really thought you and Kairi would end up together.”

Sora looks at him in momentary surprise before a pensive look crosses his face. “I thought so too. At least in the beginning.”

Riku does not say anything as he strokes Sora’s hair. Sora continues, staring outside the window. “I still care a lot about Kairi. That will never change. But… I guess people grow up.” Sora fiddles with the older boy’s jacket. “I’m still learning a lot about what love means, but I understand a little now. That I want to learn those things with you.”

Riku presses a kiss to the top of Sora’s head, a soft expression on his face. Still, he feels a little uneasy. “Is she okay?”

“Mm. Yeah, she said she felt the same – she had an image of me in her mind as she waited. But, when we reunited, and with everything that’s happened… it just wasn’t the same. And I think that scared her. It scared me too. It felt like we were growing up, but also growing apart.” 

He pauses before continuing slowly. “Actually, she was giving me advice when we were talking earlier. Said I should stop dancing around and just come out with it. That she knew you felt the same way. I didn’t believe her though.”

Riku’s hand stills, and Sora glances up at him. Making eye contact, Riku resumes. A light crease develops between his eyebrows. “How?”

“Said female intuition.” He laughs. “Guess you didn’t tell her.”

Kairi and he – they hadn’t spoken much recently. He wonders if she had known for a while about how Sora and he felt… had seen them grow closer and felt like she was being left behind. He remembers seeing the fire in her eyes when she accepted training with Lea and the tears when Sora disappeared after saving her. And suddenly, he remembers glancing at her sometimes and seeing her looking, lips parted as though about to speak. But he didn’t know to how to act around her anymore – he felt increasingly that their connection to Sora drew them further apart than together like in the past. And so, he always turned away. But maybe that was only how he felt. 

_“She misses us.”_

Guilt sinks into his stomach, a familiar grip. He breathes and accepts it calmly until it slowly melts, and he molds it into steeled resolve. 

“Riku?”

He looks down to see Sora’s concerned expression. He looks out the window. “I… should apologize to Kairi.”

Surprise morphs into understanding as Sora eventually nods. Settling back on Riku’s chest, he gives a small smile. “She said she wants to apologize to you too.”

Eyebrows raise before settling, Riku smiles a little regretfully. As though sensing this, Sora looks up and places a gentle kiss to his cheek. Riku’s smile turns fond and he places a hand against the side of his face, thumb stroking his cheek gently. Sora eventually settles back on his chest as Riku strokes his back.

As they lie there, contentment washes through Riku, the most relaxed he has felt in a long time. Emerald eyes slowly slide shut. 

Sora asks. “Oh, forgot to ask. How’d the trip go?”

Riku cracks an eye open. “We were messaging the entire time.”

“It’s different hearing it in person.”

Riku lifts a shoulder in a lazy shrug. “It was fine. Checking in on the worlds, defeating some enemies, visiting some of our friends. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“What a boring description.” Riku ruffles his hair in response.

Batting his hand away, Sora responds. “Well anyways, it’s about time. There’s been a lot of chaos – it’s good the worlds get a break.”

“You too.”

Sora hums in reply. “It’d be nice to travel the worlds again.” He interlaces his fingers with Riku’s. “Together this time.”

Riku smiles as he presses a kiss to the top of Sora's head. “Yeah. I’d like that.” 

—

Later on, when Roxas finds out, he stops by Riku’s room where Riku and Sora are lying in bed. The younger boy is lightly snoring against Riku who leans against the headboard reading a book in one hand with the other stroking Sora’s hair. With a smug expression on his face, Roxas signals with his fingers the number 10,000. Riku fixes him with a glare and mouths "Get out". Roxas mouths back "You’re welcome" before departing.

Riku sighs. He really needs to tell Sora to stop hanging out with him.

—

When Riku approaches Kairi and tells her and apologizes, she listens to all of it before rushing into him with a hug and tears streaming down her face, murmuring her own apology. And as they eventually pull away, Kairi says she likes his new haircut and Riku says the same, making a horizontal motion just above his shoulder. She laughs freely and does a little hair flip. She spots Sora appearing from a distance and laughs, waving him over.

As Riku tries to apologize again, she nods her head, agreeing he is “an idiot”, and what would the two of them do without her as Sora approaches. The three then embrace in a mess of limbs and laughs and tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Riku & Roxas are friends, and Roxas is a wingman, and it’s all super cute. And YES, Kairi’s also a wing-woman, and the Destiny Islands trio has a proper reunion/reconciliation finally. (Brb as I ugly cry.)
> 
> Also, I wasn’t able to fit this in, but Sora ends up setting his phone background to be that picture of Riku laughing while he’s making a goofy face, and Riku sets his to be the one where Sora has his arms wrapped around him because he’s pink and flustered and cute. It’s disgusting. It’s cute. Typical stuff for the pair. (Still crying.)
> 
> The Riku/Roxas friendship and the grinding scene in this chapter are inspired by Kaddi’s (“Hearts In Tune”) and llien’s (“indecent proposal”) works, respectively, both of which are really great. Would recommend checking them out!
> 
> A deep thank you to the SoRiku game analysis and translation blogs that reignited my hope in this pairing after what was initially deep disappointment from DDD to KH3. They are absolutely amazing.
> 
> And finally, thank you all for reading! I hope you all enjoyed this, and I would love it if you left a comment since I love talking about this pair haha. This two-shot is almost entirely Riku’s POV, but there are little, microscopic sprinkles of Sora POV here and there. More (attempted) implications and repetition and callback throughout this chapter – all for good effect I hope haha, but I’m still learning. Canon-verse SoRiku is my favorite and my weakness so I'm happy I get to share this with you all.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh Riku, you poor, self-sabotaging boy. Just let Sora love you. This was supposed to be a short, happy one-shot centered around some goofy and sweet selfies, but the angst quickly took over to turn it into a two-shot. Part two somehow is twice the length, but it will be coming out shortly. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed it! And if you did, I would love it if you'd leave a comment! I tried implying a lot through character actions & dialogue so let me know if anything is unclear or you’d like to discuss – I love discussing, analyzing, and generally gushing about the characters. Yes, I am deep, deep, deep in this ship haha. I think for me, Riku has matured and grown a lot into himself over the games which I'm so happy to see, but his feelings for Sora especially _to_ Sora can still a sore spot for him.


End file.
